I'm not surprised at all that I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The romance is top-tier... I was rooting for the characters from the beginning, even if they hated each other. This series is so fun with banter, action, and suspense. If you haven't read this series yet, you definitely should! You won't be disappointed and will be giggling the entire way through.

The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold is the sequel to The Blonde Identity and tells the story of Zoe's twin, Alex, as she finds love with CIA legacy King. Part mystery and part romance, this story had second chance romance, enemies-to-lovers, and some forced proximity fake marriage vibes to boot. I enjoyed the way the mystery unfolded and the tension that simmered between Alex and King as they found themselves in multiple predicaments. The flashbacks were borderline all over the place, but I liked what they added to the story. Emily Ellet did a fantastic job portraying Alex, and Andrew Eiden is always a favorite male narrator. Overall, I recommend this for fans of romance with a side of spy thriller.

Thank you to HarperAudio Adult for gifting me with an ALC to review. All opinions are my own.

ALC review

Release date: Aug 05 2025

"The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold" by Ally Carter is the second book in the "Blonde Identity" series.
Even if this can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading "The Blonde Identity" before.

Thank you HarperAudio Adult for the ALC.
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

What you can expect:
- spies
- dual POV
- multiple timelines
- hate to love
- second chance romance
- action and suspense
- fast pace
- witty banter

Alex and King met 10 year ago when they joined CIA.
With alternative chapters in the present and the past, we get information about their interactions during missions.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Andrew Eiden and Emily Ellet. They did a great job with the dual style narration and kept me interested in the story.
The only issue is that you need to be careful at the start of the chapter to know when and where the action takes place.
For me it would be easier to also have the e-book while listening to be able to concentrate better.
Still, I had a great time with these characters and I recommend the audiobook.

Alex and King have a lot of chemistry from the start and they go though a lot of adventures full of danger and mystery.
There is a good balance between the action and romance.
I love spy movies and this book felt like a movie in my mind.

It is also great that Zoe and Sawyer from the previous book make an appearance and I liked the way they made the connection with the end of the previous book.

A second chance romance with suspense and tons of humor. Dual POV and dual timelines. Sometimes I was frustrated when we went back to the past when I wanted to hear more about what's going on now, but the transitions were pretty seamless. The events of the past relevant to the next scenes in the future.

An unserious mystery book that's a fun, good time. I loved Alex and her humor and how she teased King. I loved how much King loved her. I haven't read the first book and that did not hinder my enjoyment of this one at all.

The narrators were amazing. Andrew Eiden (pseudonym of Teddy Hamilton) and Emily Ellet. Thanks to Netgalley and HarperAudio Adult for the ALC.

What an absolute DELIGHT! I loved The Blonde Identity and was nervous this wouldn’t live up to it, but it blew it out of the water! The way Ally Carter manages to grip you, make you invested, but also not make you need every brain cell to understand the plot is amazing! I adore her writing and can’t wait to get myself a shelf trophy!

The audiobook was so so so well done! The narrators were so talented and captured Alex and King perfectly!

This was a great follow up. I really enjoyed the banter between Alex and King. And that starts right from the jump.

The way this book goes back and forth in time to show how the characters end up having to work together figure out who is after them. I liked seeing how Alex got her start and the operations they worked together on.

And of course I loved the way Zoe and Sawyer were included too. It was fun to see everyone together.

This is fast past and super engaging and super fun.

Look forward to what will come next.

The narrators were excellent and I really enjoyed the listening experience.

Thx HarperAudio for the ALC.

The Blonde Who Came In from the Cold by Ally Carter is an adrenaline fueled adventure through espionage and romance. The author throws us into a world where rival spies are forced back together and hunted by a mysterious enemy. The chemistry between these two crackles off the page! The plot twists keep you guessing, and the dialogue is sassy and fun. Watching these two navigate betrayal, danger, and unresolved feelings is seriously addictive. If you’re into action packed rom coms with a touch of danger and banter, this book delivers. It’s basically the spy movie you’ve always wanted but in book form! I really liked the audio narration by Andrew Eiden and Emily Ellet. They made the story so easy to get into and gave the characters a lot of personality.

Thank you Avon/Harper Voyager & HarperAdult for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I initially read an eARC of this and enjoyed it but let me tell you!!!! Emily Ellet & Andrew Eiden did such a phenomenal job with the narration and bringing both characters to life. The dual timeline, dual POV was done really well and I loved the spy aspect - it was action packed & the romance was great. Glaring is also my favorite form of cardio hahaha. I did *not* realize that this was second in a series but I still had a fun time with it. I look forward to going back and reading the first one.

A fun sequel to The Blonde Identity. Fast past and fun, the narrator does a great job. A great palate cleanser, a fun and flirty read

I LOVE ALLY CARTER. This is fantastic, I loved learning more about Alex and the Zoe and Sawyer cameo was perfect. Ally Carter never misses. I ate this up!! The narration was PERFECT.

I loved this series and I really hope that there are more. The romantic spy thriller genre is definitely where Ally Carter thrives., It was funny and exciting and romantic and one of my favourite b0oks of the year!

Dare I say I liked this one even BETTER than the first!?!?! God that cliffhanger ending though! There better be a book three coming is all I have to say. This twin sister spy thriller series by Ally Carter is killing it!!

Spy thriller romances are my jam and this second chance romance between two rival CIA agents was SO.DARN.GOOD!!!! I don't want to say too much or spoil anything but there's lots of travel, exotic locations, action, romance, flashbacks and a dual POV narration that was excellent on audio voiced by Andrew Eiden and Emily Ellet.

Highly recommended for fans of books like The spy and I or Mr Nice Spy both by Tiana Smith. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!!